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RETAIL & INFORMATION STRATEGY 2017-2022

2. SYPTE RETAIL & INFORMATION STRATEGY

CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION TO SYPTE

2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

2.1 Retail2.2 Information2.3 Local and regional alignment

3 BACKGROUND TO THIS STRATEGY

4 OUR AIMS

5 OUR PRIORITIES

5.1 PRIORITY ONE: make information accessible, tailored and impartial.

5.1.1 Where are we now? (i) Information channels (ii) Fares (iii) Disruption messaging (iv) Push notifications (v) Ticket finding functions

5.1.2 Where do we want to be? (i) Information channels (ii) Fares (iii) Disruption messaging (iv) Push notifications (v) Ticket finding functions (vi) Registered accounts

5.2 PRIORITY TWO: make it easier for customers to buy tickets.

5.2.1 Where are we now? (i) Customer choice (ii) Locations/accessibility

5.2.2 Where do we want to be? (i) Location and accessibility (ii) Choice (iii) Technology

5.3 PRIORITY THREE: introduce products to increase patronage and access to work, training and employment and increase awareness of value for money tickets.

5.3.1 Where are we now? (i) Partnerships (ii) Business engagement and tools (iii) Product choice and price (iv) Cross boundary travel

5.3.2 Where do we want to be? (i) Partnerships (ii) Business engagement and tools (iii) Product choice and price (iv) Cross boundary travel

5.4 PRIORITY FOUR: Use technology to better understand our customers and the network/ service they require.

5.4.1 Where are we now? (i) Anonymous customers (ii) Benefitting from customer insight (iii) Data capture

5.4.2 Where do we want to be? (i) Anonymous customers (ii) Benefitting from customer insight (iii) Data capture

6 FUTURE ROAD PLAN AND DELIVERABLES

7 MACRO ENVIRONMENT

7.1 Assumptions and external factors7.2 Our challenges

8 APPENDICES

a) Transport for the North’s (TfN) road map and high level deliverables b) SYPTE high level deliverables 2017-2022 c) How this strategy supports Sheffield City Region’s Transport Strategies 2011-2026 and 2018-2040


South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) is accountable to Sheffield City Region (SCR) Combined Authority which is made up of nominated elected members from the local authorities of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield, North East Derbyshire, Derbyshire Dales, Bolsover, Bassetlaw and Chesterfield. This structure is subject to change as part of a planned governance review.

Our role is to encourage the best possible use of public transport throughout South Yorkshire and to promote the growth of the public transport network. We work closely with transport service operators (on bus, tram and train), local councils and other key stakeholders to develop the network and services across the county.

Although SYPTE does not run any transport services directly, it purchases some services from private operators and has responsibilities which cover bus, tram, train and community transport. It also provides region-wide information, manages the funding and administration of concessionary fares, provides bus stops and shelters, and operates transport interchanges throughout the region.

Our primary goals, through stakeholder engagement, projects and programmes and improving the delivery of existing services, are to provide:

• a realistic alternative to the car that will encourage a shift in people’s means of travel towards frequent use of public transport and other sustainable transport options;

• provide access to high quality public transport for those without the use of a car to enable them to access jobs, education, shops, healthcare and other services;

• good public transport infrastructure and services linking businesses to employees and customers.

Our priorities are to:

1. Ensure we are prepared to meet the evolving needs of the SCR and its key stakeholders, supporting the delivery of its objectives.

2. Promote greater use of public transport across the region and share the service offer to meet customer needs.

3. Ensure the delivery of efficient and effective networks, facilities and services that deliver value for money and enhance the offer to our customers through the introduction of new services and facilities.

4. Develop the skills and capabilities needed by the organisation to deliver its service objectives.

5. Build a sustainable financial strategy that supports the region’s public transport ambitions.

SYPTE has a key role in delivering the ambitions of the SCR’s Economic, Industrial and Transport strategies. These will focus on supporting a public transport infrastructure which for customers:

• Is truly multi-modal:

- enabling customer choice on the most appropriate mode of transport based on their needs and destinations;

- connecting customers seamlessly between modes and enabling them to access services, opportunities and places of employment;

- coordinating infrastructure improvements to support different modes;

- encouraging partnership working between all stakeholders to deliver mutually beneficial services to customers;

- demonstrates value for money to the customer.

1. INTRODUCTION TO SYPTE


• Connects people to places on a local, regional, national and international scale:

- allowing customers to make the journeys they need to access services, opportunities and places of employment on a local, regional and national scale;

- supporting improved connectivity across the North to facilitate greater mobility of customers for economic benefit, in particular with Manchester and Leeds;

- opening up access to areas of growth and economic development to encourage customers to use public transport as the default choice for business;

- providing customer confidence that services are punctual and reliable, thereby reducing non- productive time;

- facilitating ease of access to air transport, in particular supporting the growth of Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

• Supports a strong local economy which provides them with opportunities:

- improving the frequency and variety of services to key employment sites and between regional towns and city centres;

- generating investment in transport and infrastructure which facilitates growth in the medium and long term;

- making best use of technology and innovation in transport and customer services;

- is sustainable and aligned to environment and clean air expectations of customers.


2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In terms of improving customer experience, satisfaction and increasing patronage research tells us that passengers require value-for-money (know how much it will cost and be confident they have paid the best price):

• to get where they want to go (network);

• when they want to get there (punctuality, reliability and speed);

• as conveniently as possible (information advising how to get from A to B and tickets that can be purchased or used easily).

Across South Yorkshire, the introduction of smart ticketing in 2014 and the subsequent development of SYPTE’s existing retail and information offer have made it quicker and simpler for customers to access information and to buy and use tickets.

However, if taken to the next steps, true integrated smart ticketing (accessible retail channels, value for money products and tailored information) can support delivery of some the above customer requirements. It can also provide benefits for operators and supporting delivery of the SCR Transport Strategy 2011 to 2026 (and proposed draft SCR Transport Strategy 2018-2040).

The vision in terms of our retail and information provision is that people are aware of our services (journey planning, impartial fare/ticket information, timetable provision, pass applications, ticket sales), and that they are:

• simple to understand;

• teasy to use;

• flexible to the needs of the customer (accessible and inclusive);

• consistent across all channels;

• timely and effective (when you need them and advising of any changes, delays, disruptions and alternatives in advance).


2.1 RETAILThe long term aim locally and regionally is that the customer travels from A to B for best value, not needing to consider operators, zones, ticket types or pre-purchasing tickets. They will simply travel in the confidence that their daily/weekly travel will be charged at a fair price promise and the processing of payment for travel will happen seamlessly in the back office. A variety of ‘tokens to travel’ will be available for customers to use dependent upon their needs/lifestyle for example smartcards, mobile phones and contactless debit/credit cards.

For customers where budgeting is a priority and for businesses that pay for staff or client travel in advance we will retain the options for customers to:

• pay by cash;

• buy and order tickets in advance of travel.

2.2 INFORMATIONThe aim is to provide an integrated, coherent range of information products that are based on an understanding of customer needs to promote and enable journeys to be made as easy and simply as possible; and provide the customer with the information they need at every stage of their journey from initial planning through to arrival at their end destination, helping them to make informed journey choices and ensure that lack of information is not a barrier to travel.

Customers will be encouraged where possible, by channel and product design, to find the information they need themselves without needing support from staff either in person or on the phone.

When they do find or receive the information they need, their requirements for the next stage of their journey should be obvious and simple to understand.

Where possible we will combine our information and retail channels to offer customers a simple ‘one-stop shop’ experience.

2.3 LOCAL AND REGIONAL ALIGNMENTLocally and regionally, our strategies are aligned. Regionally, Transport for the North (TfN) will deliver the ability for customers to benefit from:

• smart ticketing on rail (Tranche 1);

• improved single fare information and disruption data (Tranche 2);

• the ability to use contactless bank cards and other smart media (e.g. mobile phones) to tap onto vehicles and pay the best price for that journey post travel for 1-day and 7-day travel as London

(Tranche 3).

Please see Appendix A for further information of TfN’s expected deliverables and how they align with this strategy.

The priority locally for SYPTE must be to focus on activity that will not be delivered by TfN in the short or medium term, namely:

• making information (journey planning, real-time information, pass eligibility) accessible, personalised and impartial for people at home, work or on the move;

• making it easier for customers and businesses to buy pre-paid or seasonal tickets e.g. 28-day tickets;

• improving awareness of value for money tickets and migrating customers from the more expensive single and day tickets to more economical longer term products e.g. 7- or 28-day tickets;

• begin to better understand our customers and their behaviours: who they are; what services they use and what gaps, if any, need to be filled in terms of local network and service provision.

Please see Appendix B for further information on potential SYPTE deliverables.

Locally this strategy supports both the existing SCR transport strategy 2011-2026 and also the proposed strategy 2018-40 currently out for consultation. This strategy will be reviewed to ensure compatibility once the SCR 2018-40 Transport Strategy has been finalised and approved.

Please see Appendix C to understand how this strategy supports both the 2011-26 and proposed 2018-2040 strategy.

This strategy accommodates people and businesses who:

• use public transport for work, leisure and social activities;

• are entitled to discounts due to their age, income or mobility;

• travel daily, weekly, monthly or annually;

• travel infrequently (part time workers and tourists);

• are potential customers.


3. BACKGROUND

This strategy refreshes and combines previous retail, ticketing and information strategies, supports the newly published Customer Service Strategy 2017, the existing and proposed SCR Transport Strategies spanning 2011-40, takes account of the work that will be delivered by Transport for the North’s (TfN) Integrated Smart Travel (IST) Programme and the activity being undertaken locally by operators.

Previous SYPTE strategies written during 2011-15 set out to migrate customer information provision from ‘assisted service’ to ‘self-serve’ channels and to migrate retail provision from ‘assisted service’ and ‘paper based’ to ‘self-serve’ and ‘smartcard’; in addition to reducing SYPTE operating costs by:

• Replacing travel information centres with alternative options for example ticket machines, Payzone and online information provision.

• Launching a customer relationship management system (CRM) enabling online accounts and the purchasing of annual multi-operator/mode tickets.

• Removing SYPTE produced printed paper timetables and replacing with online printable timetables.

• Developing the travelsouthyorkshire.com website and social media presence and the ability to provide information 24/7 to customers through our online and digital channels.

• Developing an online portal to enable businesses to pre-order tickets and pay for client/staff travel which can be collected from a ticket machine by the client/employee.

• Migrating all concessionary and youth passes and all 7- and 28-day TravelMaster (any operator or mode) paper tickets to smart format. The exception is the Zero Fare Pass for statutory school travellers, the future media type and delivery of which is currently subject to review.

The benefits realised from those strategies include:

• Across South Yorkshire there are 200,000 TravelMaster smartcards in circulation; generating 1.3 million commercial smart transactions a month.

• There are 257,000 concessionary smartcards for disabled people and older persons in circulation; generating 2.4 million smart transactions a month.

• 335,846 face-to-face sales transactions were migrated from travel information centres to other channels e.g. ticket machines, online and the Contact Centre.

• A reduction in ‘cost per transaction’ for retail and information provision from 59 pence in 2015 to the current cost of 12 pence.

• A reduction in annual SYPTE operating costs of £303,000 in 2015/16 and £420,000 in 2016/17.

• 25 businesses order approximately 9,520 tickets annually through the online voucher portal for clients to collect at a ticket vending machine.

• Improved accuracy of revenue apportionment for commercial ticket sales due to smart data.

• Improved auditing of reimbursement to operators for concessionary carriage (disabled and senior) using smart data.

• An improved knowledge of customer behaviours though smart data (the number of unique customers and the number of times travelled per month).

• An ability to support police enquiries where bus passes have been used in smart mode by suspects, victims, witnesses or missing persons.

• An increase of 197% in the number of times customers have viewed information on the travelsouthyorkshire.com homepage from 1.3 million to 3.8 million visits.

• Our Facebook and Twitter activity (TSY Facebook, @TravelSYorks and @TSYalerts) reaches approximately 841,567 social media accounts on a monthly basis.

• An 11% increase in revenue from the sales of TravelMaster tickets between 2014-15 and 2016-17.

• Improved business/customer processes e.g. the introduction of automated pass renewals for elderly customers means that customers no longer need to attend interchanges to provide documentation; the pass merely arrives on their doorstep. For SYPTE, the introduction of automated renewals has reduced pressure on existing resources in terms of staff time and budgets. Furthermore pass applications are now recorded in CRM, ensuring the Contact Centre advisors have the necessary information related to customers enquiries, reducing both customer and advisor effort during the troubleshooting and complaints process.

3.1 TRANSPORT FOR THE NORTH (TfN)

In spring 2015, the then Chancellor George Osborne asked TfN to produce ‘a regional implementation plan for the roll-out of integrated and smart ticketing in the North’.

“The cities of the north are individually strong, but collectively not strong enough. The whole is less than the sum of its parts. So the powerhouse of London dominates more and more. And that’s not healthy for our economy. It’s not good for our country. We need a Northern Powerhouse too. Not one city, but a collection of northern cities - sufficiently close to each other that


combined they can take on the world, able to provide jobs and opportunities and security to the many, many people who live here and for whom this is all about”.

This was followed, in November 2015, by a commitment of “£150 million of new funding to support the delivery of integrated and smart ticketing across local transport and rail services in the North, which will support TfN’s plans for a ticketing system that makes it simple and easy for people to travel across the region by bus, tram, metro and rail”.

TfN’s plans are currently maturing and subject to approval and funding. Where known we will align our activities and plans to support theirs. The TfN vision is to:

VISION 1 VISION 2 VISION 3

Make it easier to work out the best options: provide joined up information both for planning journeys and for updating customers on any changes whilst travelling.

Make the pricing simple to understand: provide a clearer-to-understand fare structure, especially within urban areas, initially offering a joined up pay as you go service across all urban areas, and then developing this further so that customers can be offered a ‘fair price promise’ which then gives the reassurance they are getting a good fare for multiple trips.

Make it easier to pay: to allow most customers to simply turn up and travel, using one of a range of smart devices as their ticket. All their travel across the region can be managed from a single account.

Their vision will be delivered through 3 tranches of activity:

Tranche 1 Tranche 2 Tranche 3

Smart on rail (bar codes and smartcards) Customer information projects The ability to use contactless bank cards and other smart media on vehicle and benefit from day and weekly capping

We know that there are customers in South Yorkshire who will never travel beyond the county boundary, will have no desire or ability to link an online bank account to their travelling patterns or have the budget to simply turn up, travel and then pay for their travel retrospectively; similar to the £7.20 contactless debit and credit card day cap offered by Transport for London. We will therefore need to consider two distinct customer groups moving forward: those who fit within the TfN vision and those who don’t.

This strategy builds on the previous strategies by:

a) Developing and combining the information and retail offer into one unified offer;

b) Taking advantage of the opportunities that TfN and the Bus Services Act will bring;

c) Utilising technologies to overcome the major barriers to usage of public transport: where, how much and when;

d) The provision of timely disruption and alternative travel data.


4. OUR AIMS

The aims of this strategy are:

• to help facilitate an increase in patronage;

• to put customer at the heart of everything we do;

• to improve business efficiencies and customer insight.


5. OUR PRIORITIES

Our aims will be achieved by focusing on four priority areas:

• Priority one – making information accessible, personalised and impartiall;

• Priority two – making it easy for customers to buy and collect tickets;

• Priority three – increasing awareness of value for money tickets and introducing products to increase patronage and access to work, training and employment;

• Priority four – using technology to better understand our customers and the network/services they require.

5.1 PRIORITY ONE: Making information accessible, personalised and impartial

5.1.1 Where are we now?

We know from customer research carried out by Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) in April 2017 that three of the top five most valuable features to a smart travel scheme are around information provision. They are:

• receiving the best fare for their journey (ranked 1st);

• real time disruption information (ranked 2nd);

• the fare is known before I travel (ranked 5th).

We have a wide variety of information channels to accommodate all customer needs: digital and traditional. Some of these channels are used to ‘push’ information out to customers about disruptions and service changes (emails and real-time information displays at bus stop and interchanges) and some of them can be personalised by the customer (such as MyTSY accounts and timetable and service information updates via email).

In terms of our statutory duty to provide impartial information, and the ability to enable customers to receive the best fare for their journey, and know the fare in advance; we can only provide customers with fare information for the major operators or schemes for 7-day and 28-day season tickets, which accommodates less than 50% of the market.

(i) Information channels

We have 17 customer facing information channels (listed below) offering different information in a variety of ways. Whilst this provides the customer with a lot of choice, it can also be confusing for them to know where to confidently seek out the information they need; and if they find contradictory information; determining which information they should trust.

From an organisational point of view, these channels are all run independently of each other and therefore require individually updating and maintaining which inevitably results in duplication (resources and costs), human errors and inconsistency of customer message across our channels.

Furthermore to support these front facing channels there are numerous back-office processes and systems in place; some which could be amalgamated, some that could be improved and some which are unsupported and need replacing.

To confuse matters further, some of our channels provide information, some only retail, and some do both. Some are also more popular with customers than others and some are required for equality purposes.

Please see the full range of SYPTE information channels on page 11.


Channel Visitor numbers/ accounts created/ reach/times used

Data date range Context

DIGITAL

MyTSY 101,967 accounts createdVisitor numbers unknown

Number of accounts created up to November 2017

Google analytics will be implemented onto MyTSY in December 2017 so that we can understand visitor numbers

travelsouthyorkshire.com 2.2 million unique visitors viewed 13.5 million pages on the website

November 2016 - October 2017

QR Codes Unknown Data only available from October 2017

SMS (real-time bus information via text)

c.285,000 SMS messages August -October 2017 3 x months data has been used to estimate 12 months data

Real-time information at stops 234 real time information screens

Real-time information in interchanges

170 real time information screens serving an unknown footfall

New footfall counters are being rolled out in 2017

Information kiosks c.133,610 page views across 17 kiosks

January -October 2017 9 months data has been used to estimate 12 months data

TSY Facebook Impressions: c.2.9millionEngagement: 1.5%

May-October 2017 6 months data has been used to estimate 12 months

Twitter: @TravelSYorks Followers: 20,654Reach: 914,200Engagement rate: 1.8%

April 2016-March 2017 Followers as of March 2017

Twitter: @TSYalerts Followers: 7,961Reach: 6.3 millionEngagement rate: 0.7%

April 2016-March 2017 Followers as of March 2017

Monthly marketing email 83,669 Subscribers to monthly e-newsletter as of March 2017

Timetable changes email 7,898 Subscribers to timetable updates as of Oct 2017

PRINTED INFORMATION

Timetables at stops (carousel or totem)

8,000 serving c. 101 million passenger trips

Large format posters in Interchanges

900 serving an unknown footfall New footfall counters are being rolled out in 2017

ASSISTED

Customer Service Advisors Unknown We do not currently record customer interactions with CSAs

Contact Centre phone 270,996 calls presented October 2016-September 2017

Information help points in interchanges

1,563 enquiries October 2016-September 2017

60% of the enquiries were abusive, nuisance or no answer

*Please note the date ranges above differ greatly due to the timescales that data capture tools have either been rolled-out or embedded into our channels. QR code metrics have only available since the beginning of October 2017; Google Analytics will not be fully embedded into MyTSY until December 2017 and footfall counters are yet to be rolled out across the estate.

16-18 TRAVEL PASS APPLICATIONS

• In July 2017 SYPTE launched a new 16-18 Travel Pass entitling all 16-18 years old to discounted travel.

• Eligible customers have the choice of applying online or filling out a paper application.

• 17,900 applications have been received to date, 92% online and 9% via paper application.

68%

18%

6%

4%

3%

1%

Bus

Customer feedback

General queries

Other

RailTickets and passes


(ii) Fares

At present, in order to find information on single- or day-ticket bus and tram fares, customers are required to contact operators directly. For a journey covering multiple operators, finding a total fare requires contacting each operator individually. Provision of this information also differs greatly by operator.

Whilst information on weekly and monthly tickets is usually available, the details for single and return fares is not readily available, or consistent, which makes it difficult for customers to compare options and be confident they are getting the right product for their needs.

(iii) Disruption messaging

Currently disruption information is dispersed over a number of sources from operators’ websites, social media sites and posters/timetables at stop. Whilst this information is useful it has limited impact on customers due to the numerous locations that need checking and the consistency and format of the data; much of which is created manually. There are also questions on the speed with which disruption information can be disseminated and hence the timeliness and accuracy of information customers are receiving.

TfN are looking to develop an online tool and central repository for managing all disruption messages by 2019. The challenge locally will be ensuring we have a back-office system that can make use of the data provided by TfN in addition to presenting it in a customer friendly format.

(iv) Push notifications and automated responses

Customers in the Sheffield City Region currently benefit from many channels/touch points that provide passenger information, such as QR codes, websites, customer service advisors and printed timetables at stops.

At the present time many of our information channels/touch points provide ‘requested’ information (what time is my next bus, what is the cheapest ticket, where is my pass). It is a known fact that service providers perform more effectively if they ‘push’ and ‘automate’ information and notifications (timetable changes, disruption information, updates on pass applications) rather than wait for customers to request the information they need. 68% of calls into the contact centre are for general bus enquiry purposes: which bus, when will it arrive?

Type of calls received by the contact centre:

By ‘pushing’ and ‘automating’ this information out to customers, rather than waiting for them to request it, we will improve both the customer experience (no need to wait in the contact centre queue to speak to an advisor) and also improve organisational efficiencies; a push notification to an app or email address would be minimal cost to the organisation in contrast to employing additional staff to work in the contact centre to deal with 1,500 enquires about buses running on days where we have snow.

(v) Ticket finding functions

Our existing ticket finder is now unable to cope with the complexities of today’s modern travel. Developed in 2011 and prior to the expansion of the current ticket range available it is based on a simple search fields. Today’s travelling customers need to consider modes, operators, price and frequency of travel. Furthermore customers want to be able to have choice and compare options e.g. the ticket I need is a ‘single operator and mode’, but for X pence more I could have the flexibility of catching any bus or detouring via Meadowhall by tram or train.


CASE STUDY

JANE FROM BIRLEY

Jane lives in Birley in south-east Sheffield and works five days a week in the city centre. She lives on a bus route served by more than one bus operator, and within walking distance of the tram. The bus drops her nearer to her work than the tram, so when she can, she catches the bus. She likes to catch up with family at least twice a week after work.

She also likes to go to Meadowhall by tram to watch a film, and another night she travels by tram to meet her mum in Hillsborough for an evening meal.

Option Singles Cost

1 Single fares for each journey £25.60

2 Bus weekly pass and singles on tram £19.00

3 Stagecoach bus and tram weekly pass £14.50

4 TravelMaster CityWide weekly pass £16.00


5.1.2 Where do we want to be?

Our ambition is to present relevant, accurate and timely information across our front facing channels that is simple to understand and responsive to customer needs. The customer will simply tell us what they want (origin, destination, frequency and time, budget) and we will do the hard work for them e.g. this is how to get from A to B by either the quickest route or cheapest price and this is the ticket you need. We will also notify them of disruptions and alerts in a timely manner and offer alternative travel options when possible.

(i) Information channels

We will review and where necessary streamline our front facing channels to ensure a consistent and simple offer is provided to the customer that is easy to use and where possible combines all of our services (information and retail) to offer the customer a simplified one stop shop experience e.g. amalgamate the travelsouthyorkshire website with MyTSY and develop an app that combines journey planning and ticket finding functions, disruption information and the ability to purchase tickets.

We will review and streamline our back-office processes to ensure that SYPTE provides a consistent customer experience and benefit from business efficiencies and better business intelligence.

We have several front-facing information channels that individually require manual updating. By developing and combining our back-office systems we will be able to push notification to customers from one central repository; not only ensuring the consistency of message but also the appropriateness of it. By channelling everything through a CRM we will be better able to target messages and offers to segmented customer groups.

(ii) Fares

We will take advantage of the Bus Services Act to improve the customer offer in terms of the promotion of single/return fares data and improved disruption information. The Act will ensure this data is made available in an open format; for all to use and in a consistent manner to be able to provide comparable ticket pricing. We will use this data across all of our channels to offer choice and impartiality to the customer.

(iii) Disruption messaging

We will work closely with TfN’s Tranche 2 disruption messaging project and develop our systems to ensure compatibility with TfN’s solution; and alignment with our neighbouring authorities. We know that access

to real-time journey information and disruption data is high priority for our customers.

We will also develop a disruptions and alert policy to ensure the business responds appropriately to planned and unplanned disruptions and ensure the customer is notified in advance; and alternative travel options provided.

(iv) Push notifications

We will develop our ability to ‘push’ notifications to customers to help them travel e.g. in times of disruption (planned or unplanned) and well in advance to ensure customers can plan alternatives in a timely manner and self-serve as far as possible; in contrast to waiting in a telephone/interchange queue. We will also ‘push’ notifications around timetable changes or price changes to customers in order to improve the service currently provided to customers and reduce inbound enquires to Traveline.

(v) Ticket finding functions

We will develop and improve our existing technology and digital offering to help people easily find the information they need for their travel (mode, where, when, best price (discounts available) and where they need it (home, work or on the move).

We will also improve our existing ticket finding function to make it easy for customers to find the right ticket for their needs, no matter how many operators or modes, thereby simplifying the current offer yet retaining impartial choice for the customer.

(vi) Registered accounts on MyTSY

We will offer customers the choice of registering online accounts or remaining anonymous when engaging with our online information services. Where possible we will encourage customers to set up accounts and thereby benefit from tailored and personalised notifications and travel information (updated timetables, disruption notifications, special offers, the ability to cancel lost or stolen smartcards etc.). For SYPTE the benefit will be having access to rich data on customer activity and behaviour. The more we know about our customers, what their circumstances are and their travel habits, the better we can tailor services and information to meet their needs.


5.2 PRIORITY TWO: Make it easier for customers to buy tickets


We currently have six retail channels to accommodate a wide variety of customer needs. Some of those channels are directly managed and delivered by SYPTE, some are in partnership and under contract with third parties, others are delivered directly by third parties.

Commercially we only sell TravelMaster tickets and all of our channels have a different product offering. For example our online provision sells concessionary passes and TravelMaster annual adult tickets, ticket machines sell all 7- and 28-day adult and youth TravelMaster products, while the TravelSY app (travelsouthyorkshire.com/TravelSY) sells all adult TravelMaster tickets except those with rail validity due to the current need for a paper counterpart.

In terms of locations, some of our retail channels are situated within Interchanges, some within local communities and some that can be accessed digitally from home, work or on the move.

Existing SYPTE delivered/contracted retail channels:

Channel Number of transactions 2016-17

Turnover SYPTE wholly accountable for delivery

Managed and delivered with 3rd party

Delivery outside of SYPTE control

Ticket vending machines 156,763 £6,036,419 No Yes No

Payzone 3,436 £110,266 No No Yes

Contact Centre 27,737 £73,658 No Yes No

Customer Service Advisors (BCP) 19,124 £36,509 No Yes No

Voucher portal 9,520 £254,364 Yes No No

TravelSY app (Pilot) N/A N/A No Yes No

MyTSY 29,083 £157,091 Yes No No

For more information visit travelsouthyorkshire.com

Accessing our services is becoming easier – you can now buy travel tickets in di� erent ways:-

Travel Tickets

Type of ticket Places to buy

On bus

On bus

Online atbuymymegarider.comor from any SIVVenue

1 DayWeekly

DayAdult and concessions

1 Day- Gold- SY Connect7 Day - CityWide- R Connect●

DayriderMegarider WeeklyMonthly●

● Not available on tram

7 & 28 Day- Gold- Zones- RConnect- CityWide- TM 18, 20, 25 ●

● Personalised smartcard required

On tram

On tram

At ticket machines In shops

with Payzone

● only available on bus.

Monthly mTicket App

Online at � rstgroup.com/southyorkshire or phone 0845 601 8020

At RailStations

mTicket App On bus

8381A


(i) Customer Choice

For customers the existing retail offer is inconsistent and confusing, not just across the SYPTE estate, but the whole public transport offering. For example, 28- day tickets cannot be bought on-vehicle as operators are reluctant to allow their drivers or conductors to transact such significant amounts on-vehicle due to cash handling concerns.

As a result 28-day TravelMaster tickets are only available to buy from a ticket machine or Payzone shop, a First 28-day ticket via phone and a Stagecoach 28-day ticket online. In terms of the customer offer there is nowhere in South Yorkshire that offers the full choice of tickets for travel.

Not only does this create barriers to travel but it also inhibits customers from accessing the best value-for-money tickets and creates confusion for customers.

(ii) Locations and accessibility

Customers also want an expanded retail offer to make buying tickets easier and more accessible, especially those living and working in rural locations, parents buying tickets for their children and those who are economically disadvantaged and living to tight budgets.

Businesses are calling for improvements as the current offer is creating logistical and economic problems with examples including rental costs for additional staff parking, shuttle buses from off-site parking and the inability of training agencies to provide value-for-money travel to people not in education, employment or training (NEETs) due to their locality and distance from the nearest ticket vending machine.


We will offer customers the ability to buy products at home, work or on the move. We will offer them the full range of ‘smart enabled’ commercial tickets available (all operators and modes) to ensure they get the best priced ticket for their needs. We will further use technology to make this easy and simple for the customer so that they tell us what they need (to get from A to B and when) and we do the hard work for them (provide journey plans and ticket options based on flexibility and price). We will also combine, where possible, our information and retail channels so that customers can benefit from a one stop shop experience: plan their journey and buy their ticket.

BUYTRAVEL TICKETS

ANYTIMEANYWHERE

travelsouthyorkshire.com/TravelSY

With the TravelSY app you can buy 7 and 28 day TravelMaster tickets and load them onto your smartcard – all from your phone!

Try our

new app and

get a FREE

TravelSY

powerbank!

Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc

Meet our travel advisors on Friday 18 August 2017 10 am – 2 pmin the Clock Tower dining room

To use TravelSY you will need an Android phone with NFC technology, a TravelMaster smartcard and Pingit.

TravelSY uses Pingit and Pay by Bank app for payments.

It’s easy, secure and fl exible.

To qualify for a FREE power bank, you must fi rst install the TravelSY and Pingit apps on your Android smartphone. Then come to see one of our friendly travel advisors who will help fi nd the best travel tickets for you.

DIVERSION

Access travel information on the move:travelsouthyorkshire.com

DOG

Bus Stop134679852

Barnsley

Pitsmoor

Rotherham

Doncaster Adwick

TIMETABLE

Journey planner

Live departures

Disruptions

Ticket finder

Timetable finder

++

Sign in | Register

travelsouthyorkshire.com

4987

620

x102

0


(i) Customer choice

We will expand the product choice on offer across our retail channels to include all ‘smart enabled’ operators and modes to offer impartial choice to the customer and improve confidence around ticketing.

(ii) Location and accessibility

SYPTE will look to increase the range of retail channels to make it easier for customers to buy tickets. This could be at home, work or on the move e.g. on mobile apps negating the need for customers to attend interchanges to buy 28- day TravelMaster products or buying online and collecting at pick-up posts found in high footfall areas.

We will also review the locations and usage of our ticket machines and establish new locations, in high footfall and accessible locations for those that are underutilised.

(iii) Technology

We know that in other retail markets customers are moving away from paper receipts and paper tickets and there is no reason why they shouldn’t expect the same from the transport services they use.

We will work with local operators and utilise the work of TfN in terms of developing the types of media that

can be used on vehicle in line with customer needs e.g. smartcards, smartphones and contactless debit and credit cards etc.

We will use digital technology to help customers easily find the ticket for their needs; this technology will also help them purchase tickets and advise them of disruptions, and alternatives, well ahead of travel. The data captured from these transactions will also provide invaluable business intelligence – where and when are people wanting to travel – have we got the network right? Which tickets do they need – are we offering the right choice? Are they purchasing the right ones – getting value for money/a fair price promise?

We will regularly engage with our customers through a variety of channels: service auditors, market research, public consultation, user groups and business to business engagement to ensure our strategy is in line with their requirements.

We will continue to work with groups of, or those representing, young people and with older and disabled people in order to maximise awareness of the retail channels available to anyone needing to obtain concessionary passes. We will keep these channels under review to ensure that we improve them where it is possible and affordable to do so.


5.3 PRIORITY THREE: Introduce products and increase awareness of value for money tickets to facilitate increase in patronage and access to work, training, and employment opportunities.


We are fortunate in South Yorkshire to have a wide range of tickets to suit a wide variety of customer needs e.g. in terms of geography: district or county specific, in terms of length: day, 7- or 28-day versions of all tickets, we have consistency across operators of what a month tickets is: 28-days, not a mixture of 28-day and monthly tickets and we have the full range of single operator, multi-modal and multi-operator tickets.

When comparing the offering in South Yorkshire against other areas of the country, customers locally benefit from choice (geography, operators and mode), lower prices and lower premiums for multi-mode and multi-operator tickets.

Operator Area/validity Price (£/week)

First Sheffield 13.00

Stagecoach Sheffield (bus only) 13.00

Stagecoach Sheffield (tram only) 13.50

First Manchester 14.00 to 15.00*

Stagecoach Greater Manchester 14.50

Stagecoach Oxford city 14.50

Stagecoach Sheffield (bus and tram)

14.50

First York 15.00

First Rotherham 15.00

First Doncaster 15.00

Stagecoach West Yorkshire 15.50

First Glasgow city centre 15.50 to 17.00*

First Leicester 16.00

First Ipswich 16.00

Stagecoach Greater Oxford area 17.00

First Bristol 17.00 to 18.50*

First Norwich 18.00

First South Yorkshire 20.00

First Southampton 20.00

First Glasgow network-wide

20.00 to 21.50*

First Bath and Bristol 22.00 to 23.80*

First Hampshire 30.00

First Leeds No FirstWeek

* Note that First operate differential pricing to encourage customers to shift from on-bus to off-bus purchase, ideally via m-ticketing.

(i) Partnerships

In terms of developing and implementing a ticketing strategy and pricing plan we do not have the legal powers to do so, we can merely influence decisions by working in partnership. We do this through facilitating and developing new and existing Voluntary Bus Partnership Agreements as well as playing a key role in advising TravelMaster on policy and public need.

SYPTE is represented on all four Voluntary Bus Partnership Agreements (Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield) and the TravelMaster Panel (Sheffield City Region Ticketing Company Ltd).

(ii) Business engagement and tools

In response to the closure of the travel information centres, SYPTE developed an online portal that enables businesses to order tickets for collection, by their clients, at ticket machines. The business can choose to pay full or part-contribution to the client’s travel and has the ability to raise repeat orders. The business is then post billed on a monthly basis. Currently around 25 training agencies use this facility.

We also have the ability to gain valuable customer and business insight through the DfT funded Sustainable Travel Access Fund. By engaging with businesses on a daily basis we are able to ascertain any concerns, raised by businesses or their employees, in relation to public transport information and retail provision.

The one challenge that we do have is that customers are still choosing to buy single/return day tickets over 7-day or 28-day products which are not always the best value ticket for the customer. Reasons for this include, but are not exclusive to: perceived flexibility, part-time working, occasional use, lack of awareness of better priced tickets.

(iii) Product choice and price

We are fortunate in South Yorkshire to have a wide range of tickets, at a low price and targeted to mode and geography of travel.

For example, across the Sheffield City Region customers can choose a ‘district’ specific product e.g. Rotherham only. They can buy a single bus operator ticket e.g. First bus only or a multi operator bus ticket covering all operators. They can also buy multi-mode tickets e.g. any bus, any bus and tram or any bus, tram or train.

Other parts of the north do not provide such a flexible offering and therefore attract a much higher pricing premium and are a less attractive choice for the customer. For example, in Leeds a customer only has the choice of a multi-operator West Yorkshire ticket –


therefore paying to travel in areas of West Yorkshire they may not require. In Manchester customers can buy a daily bus and tram ticket, but not a weekly ticket. If they require weekly multi-mode travel they must a buy a 7-day bus ticket and a 7-day tram ticket. In Newcastle their multi-mode tickets covers all forms of travel: bus, tram, train and ferry, so a customer requiring to travel on the bus and tram will also pay for the ability to travel on the train and ferry; whether they need it or not.

In terms of the pricing of discounted products for young people, we are also fortunate in South Yorkshire. By way of example weekly products for young people (mostly under 16 but in some places, including South Yorkshire, under 18) are priced as follows:

Operator Area Price (£/week)

First South Yorkshire 6.00

First York 6.00

First Greater Manchester 7.00 to 7.50*

First Leicester 11.50

First Norwich 12.50

* Note that First operate differential pricing to encourage customers to shift from on-bus to off-bus purchase, ideally via m-ticketing.

We therefore need to address customer perception of the cost of travel in South Yorkshire; rather than try to negotiate a lower price point when we are already one of the cheapest in the country.

(iv) Cross Boundary Travel

A major concern for customers is the complexity and cost of cross-boundary travel. There are several challenges to overcoming this issue including:

• Engagement and buy-in of the various operators involved (numerous)

• The methods used to apportion multi-mode and multi operator travel across different boundaries

• The differing pricing points

• The current absence of a centralised ‘operator’ back-office.

TfN’s Tranche 3 account based back office ticketing (ABBOT) project will seek to overcome the above challenges to be able to offer cross boundary travel with a fair price promise. This is due to be delivered by 2022.


We will work in partnership to develop our systems to make it easier for customers to access the right products for their needs. We will use technology behind this to understand if the product offering is right

for customer needs e.g. where are customers looking to travel to, by what means, at what times?

We will continue to actively work with businesses and utilise our third-party networks to understand if the product offering is right for their employees / clients / students’ needs and work with TfN to overcome cross-boundary travel challenges.

(i) Partnerships

We will work with local authorities, businesses and operators to identify gaps in the market and identify possible solutions that can be developed through our Voluntary Bus Partnership Agreements, representation on the TravelMaster Panel or TfN’s Integrated Smart Travel Programme.

We will also review the options that the Bus Services Act offers in terms of our existing Voluntary Partnership Agreements (Bus Partnerships) versus Enhanced Partnerships or Franchising.

(ii) Business engagement and tools

We will increase the number of businesses engaged with and the number of employee-focused travel surgeries we deliver. We know this is a proven method when looking to build trust, gather feedback and encourage modal shift. We will also increase engagement with educational providers to ensure young people know what tools are available and which products are right for them, ensuring buy-in for public transport before their aspirations for car driving set in.

We will continue to actively network and develop our third-party linkages with businesses such as Government agencies, training agencies, charities and apprenticeship schemes to understand their needs and provide services they require to support people to access work, training and employment opportunities and increase access to higher numbers of end users.

We will engage early with companies that are relocating within or to South Yorkshire to support them with their sustainable travel plans and encourage use, amongst their staff, of public transport/sustainable travel options before other travel-to-work behaviours set in.

We will develop the voucher portal to enable more businesses to benefit from the services that it offers (part and full payment for tickets, the ability to order tickets pre a client’s travel yet be invoiced once the client has collected the ticket and travelled. In addition to improving the functionality (raising duplicate vouchers and the ability to see redeemed and inactive vouchers) and improving the reporting features of the system (activity by day and month, comparisons by months and years etc.).


(iii) Product choice and price

We will increase awareness of value for money tickets by actively promoting specific tickets by audience group to achieve maximum impact and reduce ambiguity around ticketing choice e.g. businesses and their employees and educational establishments and their students.

We will improve our existing ticket finding function to make it easy for customers to find the right ticket for their needs, no matter how many operators or modes. Thereby simplifying the means that they find the right ticket for their needs, yet still retaining impartial choice. In simple terms, we will let technology do the hard work for them, they will tell us what they need and we will provide a simplified range of ticket options based on price versus flexibility.

(iv) Cross Boundary Travel

We will work closely with TfN’s Tranche 3 team to be able to benefit locally from their cross boundary ticketing initiatives.

5.4 PRIORITY FOUR: Use technology to better understand our customers and the network/service they require


We have migrated the majority of our customers from assisted to digital and self-serve channels and from paper based passes and tickets to smartcards. The result of this is that we have access to a significant amount of customer intelligence e.g. three million+ visits to the website that can be tracked for activity (what people looked at, searched for and how long for etc.), 101,967 customer opened in MyTSY, more than 300,000 personalised or concessionary passes applied for where we know who the customer is due to their need to provide evidence of entitlement, 1.3 million commercial smart transactions on-vehicle a month advising of travel patterns and customer activity and 2.4 million concessionary smart transactions a month (97% of which are by customers whose personal details are recorded in our card management system).

(i) Anonymised customers

Whilst we know who our entitled/concessionary customers are due to the need for the customer to provide evidence of entitlement - we have no knowledge of who our ‘non-entitled’ customers are. We do know that smartcard number 633597 0153 1003 2490 boarded an 87 bus at a certain point between bus stops A and B, but we do not know the identity of that person or where between A & B they alighted the bus.

(ii) Benefitting from customer insight

As an organisation we are relatively rich in customer data. However this data is not managed in one central repository and therefore can’t be maximised to its full potential e.g. feedback from business is not captured within the CRM and neither are the majority of social media comments; unless they are deemed to be a complaint. Most concessionary data is managed through a card management system called SmartConnect, Customer Service Advisors do not have access to the CRM and all calls coming into the call centre are managed through a different system.

Sources of customer intelligence include:

• website metrics (travelsouthyorkshire.com, including third party web tools such as Journey Planner, live departures and MyTSY);

• email newsletters;

• QR code scans;

• sales data;

• ticket/pass applications and usage;

• customer call tagging;

• social media activity;

• Customer Service Advisor engagement;


• customer complaints;

• surveys

– market research

– Transport Focus

– customer surveys conducted by service auditors

– business/education engagement

– feedback from transport user groups and panels

(iii) Data capture

Some of our existing customer-facing information and retail channels have been designed to capture meaningful customer insight, whilst others unfortunately haven’t. For example we know that in October 2017, 190,306 people visited the travelsouthyorkshire.com website and viewed 742,454 pages. We know they spent on average 1.5 minutes on the site. We know how many were new versus returning customers and we also know the most visited pages were journey planning and timetables. Unfortunately, we don’t know how many people visited MyTSY, how long they spent on the site, or what they looked. Google Analytics will be implemented across MyTSY to provide such data.

In addition we have a back-office software system that captures all customer smartcard data: products bought, loaded and used. The system was built in 2014 in readiness for launch of smartcards. However, with 1.8 million commercial and 2.4 million ENCTS smartcard transactions per month it is time to review the existing capability and capacity of the system and update it in line with current requirements.


We need to be ensuring that we capture customer insight at every opportunity; and that we are channelling all insight into one central repository. To ensure rich and meaningful data is gained; to better understand our customers, identify any gaps in network and service provision and reduce operating costs where possible.

(i) Anonymised customers

We will add additional functionality to MyTSY (the customer facing end of the CRM) to enable customers to set up individual and household accounts and to be able to register theirs and others smartcards (e.g. children) against that account. That way we will be able to turn smartcard numbers into real customers; for example John Smith is a regular commuter between X and Y Monday to Friday and his daughter Molly attends X Secondary School.

(ii) Benefitting from customer insight

For registered users, we will channel all customer insight into the CRM in a timely and accurate manner to ensure the system can provide meaningful intelligence, provide customers with what they want (timetable updates, pass application updates, disruption alerts), reduce duplication in our processes and systems (SmartCitizen is a card management system – a function that the CRM can provide), reduce errors (copying data from one system to another) and improve business efficiencies (fewer business processes and systems to manage and maintain) .


We will further develop and link the CRM and back-office capability so that we can see what our customers have bought/have entitlement to, how often they use it, and where they use it.

(iii) Data capture

We will map and review our information, retail channels and supporting business processes to identify any gaps or opportunities in terms of data capture.

In terms of anonymous users we will maximise on our data capture opportunities as we roll-out new technologies, such as Wi-Fi in our interchanges which will tell us how many people transit through, when, at what times and where the ‘hot spots’ are, and by monitoring the improved ticket finding and journey

planning functions on our website to see what people are searching for (where, when, what time, how much, what am I entitled to) to ensure there are no gaps in service / network provision.

We will also work with TfN and others to explore innovate customer technologies that will improve customer service and reduce operating costs to the business. For example, TravelBots that uses social media and algorithms to determine customer travelling activity and answer general enquires on the move.

Through our partnership agreements we will work with local authorities and others to understand the types of customer data and business intelligence they are able capture, and share, through the technology they deploy.


6. FUTURE ROAD PLAN AND DELIVERABLES

Priorities Deliverables

1 year 2-3 years 4-5 years

Making information accessible, personalised and impartial

• Improve the travelsouthyorkshire.com ticket finder function and incorporate into more channels – on MyTSY at the moment

• Map and analyse our business processes and customer facing information channels for effectiveness and uptake

• Review the current CRM system in line with aims and objectives of this strategy and decide if fit for purpose

• Enable and encourage the registration of smartcards numbers (individuals and households) for MyTSY account holders so that we know ‘who’ our customers are, what their journey patterns are and improve our ability to ‘push’ relevant & timely updates e.g disruption alerts or pass application updates

• Amalgamate TSY and MyTSY to improve business intelligence, reduce operating costs and improve the customer offer

• Deliver a new CRM system – if review decides not fit for purpose

• Combine the retail and information offer to make it easier for customers to self-serve with confidence e.g. plan journey and then purchase ticket – offer a one stop shop

• Provide single and return fare information in a standard format for customers to understand – currently not published publically

• Ability to notify customers about disruptions and alternative methods for travel in advance in a timely fashion

• Enable third-parties to use open data to develop/feed into their own apps e.g. Google Maps / Moovit encouraging wider availability of timetable and journey planning information

• Develop our ability to ‘push’ tailored, automated and segmented information to our customers to reduce inbound general enquiries and increase customer satisfaction with our information provision (especially around times of disruption e.g. snow)

• Reduce inbound customer enquiries by improving our business intelligence – e.g. using TravelBots

• Combine and develop our public transport and sustainable travel information offer to be able to benefit from the concept of ‘Mobility as a Service’ as it expands and develops nationally and internationally

Make it easy for customers to buy and collect tickets

• Undertake customer research to understand their purchasing preferences

• Review existing channels for effectiveness and efficiency in terms of sales volumes and locations

• Develop and roll-out a mobile ticketing app

• Stabilise and expand the Voucher Portal to encourage more businesses to use the system and enable more people to access work, training or employment opportunities

• Develop the ability for employees and businesses to add a discount voucher when purchasing tickets via their MyTSY account to benefit from corporate business-to-business (B2B) discounts offered through the Sustainable Travel Access Fund (STAF) team

• Enable the operators to retail their Smart 7- and 28-days products across all our retail channels

• Roll out the host card emulation capability across our smart ticketing offer in SY – subject to development and piloting by TfN

• Roll out the Bluetooth Beacon capability across our smart ticketing offer in SY – subject to development and piloting by TfN

• Introduce Stored Travel Rights (ability to put travel money onto a smartcard e.g. £10 or £20 - Pay As You Go (PAYG)) across SY – this should also include a review of our current Payzone offering.

• Introduce ‘action listing’ into our smart ticketing offer – the ability to buy online/collect elsewhere (preferably on vehicle)

• Investigate and develop/source a retail repository/ticket engine to feed our various retail channels


Priorities Deliverables

1 year 2-3 years 4-5 years

Introduce products and increase awareness of value for money tickets to facilitate increase in patronage and access to work, training, and employment opportunities.

• Respond to market intelligence and work more closely with businesses/educational establishments/employees/students to better understand their travelling needs and hence identify gaps in the market

• Embed analytics into all of our information and retail channels to gather customer insight and identify any gaps in the market e.g. what are they looking/searching for: tickets, destinations and times

• Improve our opportunities to improve ‘train the trainer’ specifically around journey planning, ticket finding and disruptions with training agencies, businesses and educational institutes

• Develop tools to aid the business-to-business team in delivering more effective travel surgeries

• Make better use of our customer data to enable targeted customer messages

• Review the options the Bus Services Act provides in terms of Voluntary Partnership Agreements, Enhanced Partnerships and Franchising.

• Pilot or trial out any TfN activities such as development of young person cross-boundary ticket once Account Based Back Office Ticketing (ABBOT) has been established across the North

Use technology to better understand our customers and the network/service they require

• Review the data we collect/have access to and how we use it including any gaps or opportunities

• Review data sharing agreements to ensure we have access to the data that can drive business efficiencies and better customer services

• Combine and channel all data into one repository (CRM)

• Enable and encourage the registration of smartcards numbers (individuals and households) for MyTSY account holders so that we know ‘who’ our customers are, what their journey patterns are and improve our ability to ‘push’ relevant & timely updates e.g. disruption alerts or pass application updates

• Work with Yorcard to improve the reporting functions of the Cube/Nero to better understand customer patters/behaviour

• Develop the ability to ‘hotlist’ lost or stolen Smartcards


7. MACRO ENVIRONMENT

We recognise there are wider factors that will impact on the delivery of this strategy that will shape and inform how we do things, including but not limited to:

7.1 Assumptions and external factors:

• There is a desire to build upon the achievements of smart ticketing development carried out during 2014-2017;

• Franchising is not likely to be introduced in this period (i.e. we will be delivering in a Multi Operator/Partnership environment);

• Election of a SCR Mayor, their likely powers and expectations on public transport;

• TfN’s emerging plans for the short, medium and longer term;

• Operators’ promises for work in this area over this period (e.g. contactless sales);

• Yorcard back-office infrastructure processes will remain as they are for three years (HOPS due to be retendered 2020 or transferred to TfN);

• Rail-related smart ticketing will mainly be led by TfN;

• The ticketing strategy should support future Channel Migration and Customer Strategy work and developments around Concessions to ensure compatibility/no duplication;

• In the medium term there will be a need to consider all options of smart media as a token to travel: smart cards, contactless bank cards, cash and smart phones to ensure that all passenger needs are accommodated. For example, young people do not have contactless bank cards and a significant percentage of on-board/ticket vending machines sales are cash transactions;

• SCR’s refreshed Transport Strategy 2018-40 expected early 2018;

• Opportunities the Bus Services Act will bring.

7.2 Our challenges:

• Delivering what customers want and need within budget and resources available;

• Working in partnership with stakeholders, TfN and operators to deliver these needs;

• Alignment with SCR’s refreshed transport strategy;

• Delivering this strategy in line with new data protection legislation (GDPR);

• Contributing to economic growth whilst delivering operational efficiency and savings;

• Developing and supporting a transport network that connects people to jobs, work and leisure;

• Achieving our ambition to facilitate an increase in patronage whilst external factors outside of our control may mitigate our ability to do so;

• The quality of real-time data from on-vehicle and the need for full service operator buy-in;

• Maintaining equality commitments;

• 33% of sales across our channels are cash purchases; our proposals moving forward must offer customers the ability for cash payments for the foreseeable future. Cash isn’t going anywhere soon e.g. new polymer £5 and £10 notes are in recent circulation with a new £20 planned for 2020;

• As 95% of multi operator tickets (TravelMaster) are now smart, operator apportionment (reimbursement) is now done on smart data instead of traditional survey data. As a result, operators are not keen to progress with ‘tokens to travel’ carrying TravelMaster products that cannot be scanned on their ETMs. ITSO are currently looking at how they can update their smartcard technology to work on mobile phones (Host Card Emulation);

• The inability to cancel lost and stolen cards;

• Delivering an effective and consistent customer experience across many touch-points / channels;

• The fastest moving parts of the transport industry today are payment methods and smart ticketing. The risk is that the medium term vision becomes out of date as technology and innovations move forward;

• Commercial sustainability of current operations;

• Amalgamating MyTSY and travelsouthyorkshire.com and ensuring CRM is capable of delivering the various back-office services that we need: automated responses, pushed notifications, targeted and personalised customer information, timely disruption notifications etc.


SYPTE Priorities Benefits/outcomes Outputs

Make information accessible tailored and impartial

• We will increase the reach of our information provision to existing and potential customers

• We will increase engagement with existing and potential customers

• We will increase the usage and efficiency of our information channels

• An increase in the use of QR codes

• An increase in the number of people using QR codes

• An increase the number of registered accounts on MyTSY

• An increase in customer satisfaction for information provision

• An increase in visitors and visits (new and repeat customers) to the: website home page, journey planning pages, disruption pages, timetables and ticket finder

• A reduction in calls to the contact centre

• An increase in the number of accounts reached and engaged via social media channels


• South Yorkshire customers will benefit from increased productivity as we will make it easier and quicker to buy and obtain tickets and passes by whatever channel is the most convenient/accessible to them

• We will monitor ticket sales / pass applications by channel and location

• We will monitor sales of ticket types (all operators and schemes)

• We will relocate underutilised ticket machines to a wider range of locations

Increase awareness of value for money tickets and introduce products to increase patronage and access to work, training and employment

• More people and businesses will be aware and informed of the tickets/passes available

• An increase of sales of value for money tickets (7- and 28-day)

• An increase in the number of vouchers ordered through the portal

• An increase in the number of businesses using the voucher portal

• An increase in the number of people ordering the 16-18 travel pass

• An increased in use of the ticket finder function on travelsouthyorkshire.com

• An increase in satisfaction for value for money tickets

Use technology to better understand our customers and the network and services they require

• Improved understanding and insight into our customers’ needs

• A reduction in cost per transaction

• Changes to the transport network/model

• Changes to the existing product/retail/information offer

• Behaviour change: product type and duration (ticket finder)

• Increased patronage and use of other sustainable transport modes (walking and cycling)

• Streamlined customer processes in-line with customer demands

Please note: quantifiable outputs will be agreed for the above table once we have embedded data capture tools/analytics across our various channels and we can establish a baseline for performance.


RESEARCH USED TO SUPPORTTHE PLAN

Smarter travel: The future of ticketing, April 2017carried out by Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC)

Northern Transport Survey, March 2017carried out by PwC

Smart ticketing in the North, October 2016carried out by Transport Focus

Integrated and Smart Ticketing Research, January 2016carried out by Illuminas

Smart Ticketing 2, April 2016carried out by Illuminas

The future of m-commerce, April 2015Barclays Bank


APPENDICES

APPENDIX A

TfN projected timescales and deliverables and subject to change (correct at November 2017):

Tranche Tranche Tranche 1: smart on rail Tranche 2: customer information Tranche 3: ABBOT back-office

Deliverables • Smart on rail: mag stripe tickets will be replaced with barcodes and smartcards.

• Carnets tickets will be offered on gated lines.

• The availability of single and return bus fare data.

• Improvements (quality, consistency and timeliness) in disruption messaging.

• The creation of an open data hub that will hold TfN acquired data sets.

• Development of a knowledge network across the north.

• Other innovative customer information projects yet to be confirmed.

• The implementation of a ‘back-office’ (ABBOT) which will collate and read customer data to facilitate the capping of multi-modal and multi-operator journeys on a daily basis to ensure that customers pay the best possible price for their journey.

• The aim is to offer customers what is on offer in London: contactless bank card payments, pay as you go and a fair price promise. This will mean customers can trust that they will be charged no more for their travel each day than the best-value tickets they could have bought on the day of travel. For the fair price promise to work journey and fare calculations will be carried out centrally in one back-office.

• Initially the back office (ABBOT) will offer ‘turn up and go’ travel with contactless bank cards.

• This will be followed later by adding ITSO smartcards and card emulation wearable devises that can interact with infrastructure such as validators and electronic ticket machines.

Funding Full Business Case submitted for Tranche 1 in May 2017. Funding approved.

Full Business Case to be submitted for Tranche 2 early 2018. Funding released thereafter.

Full Business Case to be submitted for Tranche 3 in May 2018

Go-live Pilot on Hull-Scarborough line January – June 2018. Full roll-out across the North June 2018 onwards.

Summer 2018 although some fare data will be available from March 2018*

Pillar 1 2019-2020Pay as you go, contactless bank cards, single mode/operator, simple daily capping, simple billing and journey history

Pillar 2 2020-2021Multi-operator/mode, complex daily capping, improved billing and journey history

Pillar 3 2021-2022Pre-purchase, pre-paid bank card alternative, weekly capping

Implications for SYPTE and its customers

• Smartcards being accepted on rail will negate the need to provide sales counterparts for TravelMaster tickets that include rail validity.

• The above will also enable SYPTE to retail TravelMaster products that include rail validity on our digital channels e.g. the TravelSY app (currently in pilot).

• Only customers travelling to or from a gated station will benefit from carnet tickets e.g. Sheffield to Leeds or Sheffield to Manchester.

• Customers will have easy access to single and return fare data for the first time and will see improvements in disruption information (quality, consistency and timeliness).

• Development costs: we will need to improve our systems/processes in line with TfN developments to be able to integrate the data (disruptions and fares).

• Disruption and alert business processes and practises will need to be established to determine how disruption data is used and disseminated to the end user.

• Benefitting/learning from the outcomes of TfN led customer information initiatives/projects.

Pillar 1 customers will benefit from pay as you go single operator daily capping in addition to being able to see their journey history.

Pillar2 customers will benefit from pay as you go: multi operator and multi-mode day capping.

Pillar 3 customers will benefit from weekly capping and the ability to pre purchase travel and then pay as they go.

We will need to consider the timescales for the migration of commercial and ENCTS smartcards into ABBOT. The existing HOPs contract expires in 2020.

*The initial plan was for the Bus Services Act to legislate the format and standard of single and return fare data. Brexit has meant that the Act will not be debated in the

timescales originally envisaged by TfN. It may therefore be 2020 before a ‘National Fare Structure’ is legislated and published.

To prevent delays to the programme, TfN is working closely with DfT and have formed a strategic partnership to deliver a fares information project for the North of England.

Phase 1 of the project will deliver single, return, day and longer season ticket fares for bus, ferry and light rail as part of existing information services and for publication as open data. TfN will concentrate its resource on pilot development and stakeholder engagement in the

North in Phase 1, particularly with SMEs. Traveline will provide technical advice and oversight in the procurement and roll out stages of TfN led deliverables. Traveline will work with existing software and processes through supplier and stakeholder engagement across the UK. Phase 1 fares data will begin to appear on traveline.info in Q1 2018. TfN will provide review on systems design and data presentation.


Priority Objectives Example of deliverables

Make information accessible, tailored and impartial

• Review and where necessary streamline our front facing customer channels to ensure a simple and consistent offer is provided to the customer that is easy to use and where possible combine services to offer the customer a one-stop-shop experience.

• Amalgamate TSY and MyTSY websites to improve business intelligence, reduce operating costs and improve the customer offer.

• Improve the travelsouthyorkshire.com ticket finder function and incorporate into more channels.

• Combine the retail and information offer to make it easier for customers to self-serve with confidence e.g. plan journey and then purchase ticket – offer a one stop shop.

• Make our online services simple and easy to use and ensure they offer the information that people contact us about most.

• Develop a common standards of service for all customer touch-points (online, telephone, face-to-face).

• Map and analyse our customer facing information channels for effectiveness and uptake.

• Roll-out phase 2 of the TravelSY app should the pilot prove successful to incorporate journey planning and real-time information.

• Streamline our back office processes to ensure SYPTE provide a consistent customer experience and benefit from business efficiencies and better business intelligence.

• Make better use of a CRM with a supporting CRM strategy – what do we want to achieve from it? Who is the business owner?

• Consider developing/sourcing an information repository/engine to feed our various information channels.

• Take advantage of the Buses Bill and the work of TfN to improve the customer offer e.g. the promotion of single and return fares, improved disruption information and other innovative customer information TfN-led pilots.

• Ability to promote single and return fare information in a standard format for customers to understand – currently not published publically.

• Ability to notify customers about disruptions and alternative methods for travel in advance in a timely fashion.

• Enable third-parties to use open data to develop/feed into their own apps e.g. Google Maps/Moovit encouraging wider availability of timetable and journey planning information.

• Develop/improve our technology to help people easily find the information they need for their travel (where, when, best price) and where they need it (home, work or on the move).

• Combine the digital retail and information offer to make it easier for customers to self-serve with confidence e.g. plan journey and then purchase ticket – offer a one stop shop.

• Make information available to people when they need it i.e. at home, work or on the move.

• Ensure our digital channels offer customer the ability to tailor and personalise the information/transaction data they need.

• Promote and maximise uptake/engagement with the TSY website.

• Respond to rising customer expectations and improve our digital offering to aid customer self-serve 24/7.

• Develop our ability to ‘push’ tailored and segmented information to our customers to reduce inbound general enquiries and increase customer satisfaction with our information provision (especially around times of disruption e.g. snow).

• Develop a SYPTE proactive and reactive ‘disruptions & alerts strategy’ to improve the customer experience and operational efficiencies. What do disruptions look like for the customer and how can we better use our data and systems to manage demand/improve service delivery.

• Integrate live departure information and geo location functionality into our online journey planning provision.

• Develop a mobile strategy that delivers tickets and information whenever a customer needs it.

• Consider using new technology to reduce inbound customer enquiries and improve business intelligence e.g. TravelBots.

• Combine and develop our public transport and sustainable travel offer to be able to benefit from the concept of ‘Mobility as a Service’ as it expands and develops nationally and internationally.

• Enable and encourage the registration of smartcards numbers (individuals and households) for MyTSY account holders so that we know ‘who’ our customers are, what their journey patterns are and improve our ability to ‘push’ relevant & timely updates e.g. disruption alerts or pass application updates.

APPENDIX B

Information and Retail Strategy 2017-2022: priorities, objectives and possible deliverables




Review and where necessary expand the choice of retail channels to make it easier for people to buy tickets at home, work or on the move.

• Undertake customer research to understand their purchasing preferences.

• Review existing channels for effectiveness and efficiency in terms of sales volumes and locations.

• Pilot a mobile ticketing app.

• Consider the viability and benefits of introducing ‘action listing’ – the ability to buy online / collect elsewhere (preferably on vehicle.)

• Piggy-back Mobile Host Card Emulation (a mobile phone replicating the features of a smartcard – TfN led).

• Piggyback the Beacons pilot (TfN led).

• Consider the future viability of Payzone and the introduction of Stored Travel Rights (ability to put travel money onto a smartcard e.g. £10 or £20 - PAYG).

• Stabilise and expand the Voucher Portal to encourage more businesses to use the system and enable more people to access work, training or employment opportunities.

• Develop the ability for employees and businesses to add a discount voucher when purchasing tickets via their MyTSY account to benefit from corporate B2B discounts offered through the STAF team.

• Consider the viability of pick-up posts (buy online, collect at a pick-up post – possibly good for businesses/ areas high footfall/hospitals/universities/iPhone users unable to benefit from NFC.

• Retail more products online (once action listing has been developed – buy online and collect elsewhere).

• Expand the product offering on our retail channels to include all operators products, not just TravelMaster.

• Work with operators to retail their smart 7- and 28- day products across all of our retail channels.

• Work with operators and piggy-back TfN’s quick wins in terms of developing the types and number of media that can be used for travel (paper ticket, smartcard, phone, debit card etc).

• Consider the viability and benefits of introducing:

- Host Card Emulation - Beacons

• Encourage/support non-smart operators to become smart.

• Support and actively engage in TfN’s smart travel programme to ensure their vision is compatible and advantageous to the needs of people living, working and travelling within Sheffield City Region.

• Play an active role in TfN’s Integrated Smart Travel Programme Advisory Group and resulting work streams arising from the various Treasury approved business cases for Tranches 1 - 4.

• Use technology to help people easily find the best ticket for their travel needs and subsequently purchase and collect that ticket.

• Develop a ticket finder function that will work alongside our journey planning functions that is simple and easy to use.

• Combine the retail and information offer to make it easier for customers to self-serve with confidence e.g. plan journey and then purchase ticket – offer a one stop shop.

• Regularly engage with customers to understand their developing needs.

• Regularly carry out research whilst engaging with businesses and educational establishments as part of the ITT/Bus Boost programme.

• Review our existing retail processes to ensure accuracy, efficiency, future- proofing and business continuity.

• Business process mapping exercise – all suppliers/operators/internal departments.

• Consider developing/sourcing a retail repository/ticket engine to feed our various retail channels.

Increase awareness of value for money products and introduce products to increase patronage and access to work, training and employment

• Work with operators and local authority partners to provide a ticketing offer that is attractive to customers and encourages use of public transport in addition to engaging users/businesses for feedback.

• Play an active part in Bus Partnerships and TravelMaster.

• Capture feedback from business/education engagement/employees/students re gaps in the market in one central repository to provide richer business intelligence.

• Respond to market intelligence and consider further business cases e.g. flexible ticketing – buy 10 days of travel and use when required – good for part time workers or daily/weekly capping – the ability for customers to travel in confidence knowing at the end of the day they will pay the cheapest price for their travel or helping people into work by reducing their first months cost of travel.

• Piggy-back on TfN activities e.g. the development of a young person cross-boundary ticket.

• Embed analytics into all of our information and retail channels to gather customer insight and identify any gaps in the market e.g. what are they looking/searching for: tickets, destinations and times.

• Improve our opportunities to ‘train the trainer’ specifically around journey planning, ticket finding and disruptions with training agencies, businesses and educational institutes.

• Develop our existing voucher portal to improve functionality and capacity to ensure more businesses and end users can benefit from the service/offer.



• Increase awareness of value for money tickets by actively promoting specific tickets by audience group to achieve maximum impact and reduce confusion around ticketing choice e.g. businesses and their employees, educational establishments and their students.

• Improve and piggy-back on existing communication methods e.g. when sending out tickets or passes.

• Develop tools to aid the B2B team deliver more effective travel surgeries.

• Maximise our networks to engage with high numbers of customers (businesses and educational establishments).

• Make better use of our customer data/systems to enable targeted customer messages.

Use technology to better understand our customers and the network/service they require

• Use customer intelligence, gathered from our information and retail channels, to inform and shape our service delivery in the future.

• Combine and channel all data into one repository (CRM) to improve business intelligence.

• Review the data we collect/have access to and how we use it including any gaps or opportunities.

• Monitor what people are searching for e.g. journeys and times to understand if the network serves those locations at those times?

• Maximise our data collection opportunities e.g. encouraging customers to register their smartcard so that we know who they are and switching on Wi-Fi in our interchanges so that we can understand footfall: volume, frequency, time, days.

• Review data sharing agreements to ensure we have access to the data that can drive business efficiencies and better customer services.

• Develop the ability to ‘hotlist’ lost or stolen smartcards.

• Enable and encourage the registration of smartcards numbers (individuals and households) for MyTSY account holders so that we know ‘who’ our customers are, what their journey patterns are and improve our ability to identify any gaps in service provision.

• Work with Yorcard to improve the reporting functions of the Cube/Nero to better understand customer patterns/behaviour.

• Encourage take-up, registration and use of smartcards to provide ‘data rich’ customer insight.

TICKETS


APPENDIX C

Sheffield City Region Transport Strategy 2011-2026

Vision: ‘Partners from across Sheffield City Region (SCR) have a vision to see it offering people a great place to live, work invest and visit. Focussing on SCR’s prosperity and growth, we want it to make a greater contribution to the UK economy by having a local economy less dependent on the public sector, providing conditions for businesses to grow, and becoming the prime national centre for advanced manufacturing and low-carbon industries. To make such a place, we need to keep people and good s moving effectively.’

To achieve this vision, the SCR Transport strategy 2011-2026 sets out four clear goals, supported by 26 policies to address the major priorities for transport improvements.

This strategy supports all four of SCR’s goals; please see the table below for further information.

Goal Policy Detail How this strategy supports the goal and policy

To support economic growth

K To develop public transport that connects people to jobs and training in both rural and urban areas.

• It will increase awareness and enable people to make informed choices on the options available (where, when, how much) connecting people from home to work and the benefits of using alternatives to the car (public transport, walking and cycling).

• It will increase the accessibility and availability of travel information to people at home, work or on the move.

• It encourages take-up of our digital information provision to help people plan journeys, know which ticket is best for their needs and alert them in advance of any disruptions.

• It utilises technology to capture intelligence on customer/business needs to understand demands and any gaps in service provision.

To enhance social inclusion

N To develop user friendly public transport, covering all parts of SCR, with high quality integration between different modes.

• It seeks to utilise technology and migrate our data to ensure the network is right by monitoring: where are people looking to go, where from, what time and what days? Where do they get their tickets from? What type do they buy? How long for?

• It expands our retail offer to provide more choice to the customer to ensure they get the right ticket for their needsIt develops our retail offering in terms of the channels available and the locations/accessibility of those channels to suit people at work, home or on the move.

O To ensure public transport is accessible to all.

• It will ensure the provision of good quality, timely and accessible information to facilitate more people to travel independently.

• It develops our retail channels to enable customers to purchase their tickets in advance of travel at home, work or on the move ensuring our retail provision is accessible to the needs of all working and living within the SCR.

P To work with operators to keep fares affordable, especially for travellers in need.

• It supports working in partnership with stakeholders, operators and local businesses and develop our 3rd party networks to ensure the ticket range provides choice, flexibility, value for money and accommodates the needs of public transport users in the SCR.

• It supports working in partnership with TfN, operators and our neighbouring transport authorities to overcome administrative boundaries to fare and ticketing arrangements.

To reduce emissions

S To encourage active travel and develop high quality cycling and walking networks.

• It seeks to combine our public transport and active cycle information provision to increase awareness of how cycling and walking can be combined with public transport options for work or leisure purposes.

• It encourages engagement with businesses and 3rd party networks to encourage behaviour change amongst their staff / clients in terms of using active and public transport.

T To provide information and travel advise for the users of all modes of transport, so that they can make informed travel choices.

• It will see the development of a common standard of service across all of our customer touch points.

• It will streamline our front facing channels to ensure consistency of information provision and one version of the truth.

• It will simplify our online services and see the development of ‘pushed’ and ‘automated’ messages that are targeted and tailored to the customer.

• It combines the information and retail offer into a ‘one stop shop’ experience.

• It ensures the provision of accurate fare and disruption information.

• It seeks to make information available 24/7 and when people need it: at home, work or on the move.

• It will see better use of customer intelligence captured from our information and retail channels to inform and shape our service delivery in the future.

To maximise safety

Z To improve safety and the perception of safety on public transport.

• It seeks to expand the choice of retail channels negating the need for customers to travel/spend time in an interchange unnecessarily.

• It Improves our real-time and disruption information provision and the availability of that information to reduce wasted time at stops/interchanges.


Sheffield City Region Transport Strategy 2018-40 (Proposed)

Vision: We will continue to be a forward-looking city region with integrated transport connections that support economic growth and improve quality of life for all.

To achieve this vision, the SCR Transport strategy 2018-2040 sets out four clear goals, supported by 12 policies to address the major priorities for transport improvements.

Please see below how this strategy supports those goals.

Goal Policy Detail How this strategy supports the conditional outcomes, goal and policy

Support inclusive economic growth

1 Improve access to jobs, markets, skills and supply chains.

Conditional outcome: Increase rail commuter flows with Greater Manchester and Leeds City Regions.

• It will increase awareness in commuters of the options available (where, when, how much) connecting people from home to work and the benefits of using alternatives to the car (public transport, walking and cycling).



• It utilises technology to capture intelligence on customer/business needs to understand demands and any gaps in service provision e.g. bus / rail connection times.

• It supports the work and activity being undertaken by TfN to make it simple and easy for people to travel across the North by bus, tram, metro and rail.

Create healthy streets where people feel safe

4 Make our streets healthy places where people feel safe.

Conditional outcome: 95% public opinion that our local transport choices feel safe.

• It seeks to expand the choice of retail channels negating the need for customers to travel / spend time in an interchange unnecessarily.


5 Enhance our multi modal transport system which encourages sustainable travel choices and is embedded in the assessment of transport requirements for new development, particularly for active travel.

Conditional outcome: achieve mode share targets of 47% private car, 33% public transport, 9% walking and 11% cycling

• It will increase awareness in urban and rural communities of the options available (where, when, how much) connecting people from home to work and the benefits of using alternatives to the car (public transport, walking and cycling).

• It seeks to combine our public transport and active cycle information provision to increase awareness of how cycling and walking can be combined with public transport options for work or leisure purposes.



• It seeks to utilise technology and migrate our data to ensure the network is right by monitoring: where are people looking to go, where from, what time and what days? Where do they get their tickets from? What type do they buy? How long for?

• It expands our retail offer to provide more choice to the customer to ensure they get the right ticket for their needs.

• It develops our retail offering in terms of the channels available and the locations/accessibility of those channels to suit people at work, home or on the move.

• It will ensure the provision of good quality, timely and accessible information to facilitate more people to travel independently.

• It encourages engagement with businesses and 3rd party networks to encourage behaviour change amongst their staff/clients in terms of using active and public transport.


Promote, enable and adopt differenttechnologies

11 To enable different solutions to create a fully integrated and inclusive transport service.

Conditional outcome: increase productivity by £75m through technology based efficiencies



• It develops our retail offering in terms of the channels available and the locations/accessibility of those channels to suit people at work, home or on the move.


• It seeks to combine our retail and information provision offer into a one-stop-shop experience for the customer.

• It seeks to embrace new technologies in line with customer expectations e.g. geo location when journey planning.

• It seeks to embrace technologies that will simply information for the customer e.g. improving our ticket finding function to include single and return fare data.

11 Strategic interventions. Conditional outcome: increase productivity by £75m through technology based efficiencies.

• It supports the work of TfN to develop a regional back-office capable of smart ticketing, payment, data collection and storage.

• It supports further development of our open data provision to ensure as many people have access to the information as possible.

• It seeks to develop information systems that meet customer needs: mobile apps, digital customer support, disruption alerts, real-time information provision.

• It supports the concept of working with stakeholders to examine the potential of new transport solutions that respond to the needs of the traveling public and businesses e.g. Mobility as a Service.

SOUTH YORKSHIRE PASSENGER TRANSPORT EXECUTIVE 11 BROAD STREET WEST, SHEFFIELD S1 2BQ

10580

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